Playback apparatus for playing back video information recorded on magnetic tape and providing smooth-frame still or slow motion video

A playback apparatus for playing back information signals prerecorded on a magnetic tap along tracks inclined with respect to a longitudinal direction of said magnetic tape in a manner such that tracks of common azimuth angle are formed on every track, said apparatus comprising:

• a first head assembly comprising a first head for scanning tracks of a first azimuth and a second head for scanning tracks of a second azimuth, said first head assembly being movably arranged in a direction perpendicular to a track scanning direction;
• a second head assembly comprising a third head for scanning tracks of said first azimuth and a fourth head for scanning tracks of said second azimuth, said second head assembly being arranged movably in a direction perpendicular to a track scanning direction;
• a rotary drum for carrying said first and second head assemblies and winding said magnetic tape at a predetermined angular range;
• first displacement means for supporting and displacing said first head assembly in accordance with a selected tap speed mode, and for causing each of the heads in the first head assembly to scan said tracks having azimuth angles common to azimuth angles of said heads, when a recorded image signal on said tape is played back from said magnetic tape;
• and
• second displacement means for supporting and displacing said second head assembly in accordance with a selected tape speed mode, said second displacement means being disposed 180 degrees angularly opposite to said first displacement means and for causing each of the heads in the second head assembly to scan said tracks having azimuth angles common to azimuth angles of said heads, when a recorded image signal on said magnetic tape is played back from said magnetic tape:
• wherein said first to fourth heads are arranged on an outer circumference of said rotary drum in the order of said first, second, fourth and third heads:
• and
• wherein control means is provided for controlling displacement of said first and second head assemblies, and said control means comprises;
• a waveform shaping circuit for shaping a waveform of a control signal recorded along said magnetic tape and picked up by a control head,
• a phase-shifter for phase-shifting said control signal by a phase angle of 180 degrees to generate a phase-shifted control signal,
• first pattern generating means for generating a first head scanning pattern signal for controlling the first and third heads and which drives said first and second displacement means in response to said control signal for tracking said tracks of said first azimuth,
• second pattern signal generating means for generating a second head scanning pattern signal for controlling the second and fourth heads which drives said first and second displacement means in response to said phase-shifted control signal for tracking said tracks of said second azimuth,
• switching means for switching playback signals from said first head and said second head of said first head assembly, so that output from only one of said first and second heads is used at one time and for switching playback signals from said third head and said fourth head of said second head assembly, so that output from only one of said third and fourth heads is used at one time in order to produce a video signal corresponding to said selected tape speed mode.